How Native Language Influences Perception Of The World

Throughout the history of the human race a multitude of different cultures have emerged all throughout the world. With these cultures has come the development of thousands of different languages, each encompassing unique characteristics, stories, ideals, and beliefs embodied by these cultures. As the world continues to be in constant change and growth, globalization has caused many of these languages to become extinct. Linguistic anthropologists are working hard to prevent this from happening any further and are also attempting to revive lost native languages, a very important process to these native cultures as well as all of humanity. Native language provides a sense of identity to the people of the culture from which it originates and also a linguistic diversity to our world. The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis proves just how much language influences perception of the world and reflects the beliefs held by individuals associated with the language. Since every language is so unique, reviving a lost native language is culturally significant in many ways. Language is a large part of culture and with the diminishing of a language also comes the demise of the culture tied to that language. In reviving a lost language we are also reviving that culture as well, bringing back new ideas, thoughts, and stories that may have been lost along with the loss of the language. In the text, Cultural Anthropology, it explains, â€Å"different languages express different thoughts and cultural content,Show MoreRelatedDeaf Perceptions Of The Deaf1510 Words   |  7 PagesDeaf Perceptions of Animacy Deaf culture has long been misunderstood and misrepresented within America, in part due to the significant language barrier between the American Deaf and their hearing counterparts. 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Cross cultural communication studies how people from different countries, social status, and upbringing interact with each other In this new era of globalization cross cultural communication in organization it is not no longer a theory because of all the transformation that are happening are in the world we live in. People from different backgrounds interact more than they used to do

Study of Brand Loyalty Towards the Organized Retail Stores Free Essays

Insights into Indian English Fiction and Drama Edited by Capt. Dr. Arvind M. We will write a custom essay sample on Study of Brand Loyalty Towards the Organized Retail Stores or any similar topic only for you Order Now Nawale Access -An Academic Consortium Publication ISBN No. 978-81-921254-3-5 Aspects of Campus Novel in Makarand Paranjape’s The Narrator: A Novel Shridevi P. G. The Narrator: A Novel is the well-known critic Makarand Paranjape’s debut novel, published in 1995. It is a mishmash of several stories woven together and presented to us from view-points of several writer-narrators or character- narrators. This novel has attracted considerable interest in the academicians because of the unique narratology of the novel which is different from the rest of the Indian novels written in English. The novel is experimental, and breaks away from the conventional methods of story-telling used in Indian English Fiction. Throughout the narrative, the readers notice that there is little attempt to create an illusion of realism or naturalism. 1 With the use of multivoiced and polyphonic narration, as in the great epics Ramayana and Mahabharata, the writer tries to relocate himself with the ancient Indian tradition of the narratology. The story of the novel can be divided into three main threads: The first is the story of Rahul Patwardhan, lecturer in English at Asafia University, Hyderabad who is suffering from creative schizophrenia since his childhood and, in the process has a libidinal alter ego, Baddy. The second is the story of Badrinath Dhanda, who comes out of Rahul through emanation. The fi nal thread is that of the movie script, Manpasand. Campus novel is a kind of novel which originated in the West but is emerging as a very prominent sub-genre in Indian English Fiction. As David Lodge, a well-known practitioner of this sub-genre opines, Campus Novel is mainly concerned with the lives of University professors and junior teachers. 3 The present paper attempts to explore the aspects of campus novel in this novel. The novel centers around Rahul Patwardhan who is a lecturer in English at the Asafia University, Hyderabad. His reputation as a lecturer is displayed when he meets his Head of the Department in the novel. The Head of the Department does not doubt him when he lies; asking for leave for four days on the pretext of illness and reading accepts it. This is because, this type of aberration was a recent development in Rahul’s character, and is therefore unknown to the Head of Department. The author presents the characteristics of a good lecturer through Rahul Patwardhan’s character. He is responsible about his duties as a lecturer: †¦. tomorrow was Monday. I had to teach. It was the beginning of a new week. I couldn’t afford to have a very late night today. But meeting him tomorrow would screw up Tuesday’s schedule. [TNAN 67] His anxiety to complete the syllabus is also depicted in the novel. He abstains from listening to the gory details of incest when Badrinath is narrating his story. When Badri goes on describing how the ugly women are better partners then the beautiful ones, Rahul is unable to contribute his view as he is a loyal husband to Neha and thus had slept only with her. It is the curiosity generated in him by his literary sensibility or on humanitarian inclination that he expresses his wish of meeting prostitutes. He thinks, What were these women like? What did they feel? What was the meaning of their lives†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦I was interested in getting to see them at close quarters. I told myself I didn’t want the sex, but only the experience of meeting a prostitute, of talking to her, getting to know her. [ TNAN 168] Rahul immediately revolts at Badri’s mention of co-habition with college girls. â€Å"For heaven’s sake, Badri, I teach them myself†. â€Å"You never know†, he continued, â€Å"you may even meet one of your students! † â€Å"Please, Badri, stop it†. [TNAN 168] This conversation indicates Rahul’s strong professional ethics. He has also followed certain principles in life which are unfortunately jettisoned after his acquaintance with Badri. He leaves a lot of food on his table, much against his principle of not wasting food He starts lying and finds people believing it easily He consumes beer He cohabits with a prostitute. This shows that he had been morally corrupted to a certain extent. This task of corrupting Rahul had been attempted several times by Baddy but all of them had been found fruitless. But years later Badri proves successful in this. The Novel sketches Rahul’s academic progress and his strict regimen for his Ph. D. , degree quite conspicuously. He would religiously enter the library every morning and work till the evening, often skipping his lunch. Sometimes, I wondered if I would ever get out of the library alive. I mean, I was losing all sense of time. I thought to myself that one day they would find my bones in the musty corridors, resting somewhere among the shelves full of books. [TNAN 75] He describes his guide as a ‘cool guy’ whose motto was â€Å"Do what you like, but show me the final draft within five years†. [TNAN 75] The under note of sarcasm does not go unnoticed in this line which highlights the negligence or failure of some guides to train their research scholars. The procedure of Ph. D. degree is also briefly explained. He says, â€Å"My five years in Hyderabad passed. I submitted my thesis in October 1986; the viva was held next year in April†. [TNAN 75] The whole description of this kind reminds one of Saros Cowasjee’s novel Goodbye to Elsa where similar kind of description of the research methodology is found. Rahul also writes an introductory guide to fiction entitled â€Å"Indian English Fiction – Theory and Practice† the first 500 copies of which are sold out in six months and it then goes into second edition. The relation between colleagues also forms an important aspect of the campus. Here this is displayed through Rahul’s relationship with Raghavan. Their addressing each other with abusive words indicates their intimacy. Both were doing doctoral research. Though Rahul is younger of the two, he had got the job before Raghavan and thus was technically senior to him and which made Raghavan grumble. â€Å"We were, in a sense, rivals, but had never stopped being friends†. [TNAN 148] One interesting point found here is the absence of professional jealousy which is very common among colleagues and which is found in most of the campus novels like M. K. Naik’s Corridors of Knowledge, Ranga Rao’s The Drunk Tantra, Rita Joshi’s The Awakening –A Novella in Rhyme. Students are the inevitable and the most significant aspect of campus novels. Even in this novel, the behavior and misadventures of students are pictured in an amiable way. Rahul presents two sets of students – his classmates when he was studying and his students, after he becomes a lecturer. Rahul joins Tambaram College, which had a history of 150 years but had become a semiwild campus with the kind of behavior of the students. Music and drugs were the two things which dominated the college. â€Å"Bunking classes, acting wild, breaking rules, and doing the unconventional thing were considered hip. There was nothing worse than being a good boy; it was the most despicable way to live†. [ TNAN 55-56] The students think of themselves as the lost generation, India’s equivalent of the hippies. The senior students spent most of their time smoking and listening to music. The mention of a ‘drunken brawl’ among students is made in such a way that it is not very uncommon in colleges. In one such quarrel a student was stabbed. An instance of suicide committed by a student is also pictured. He had consumed downers and jumped off the top floor of the International Students’ Hostel because he had stolen a large sum of money from one of his friends and had blown it all on drugs. With these instances the novelist seems to be indicating the lack of discipline and control among the students. The novelist then describes the drinking bouts of the students and the way they acquired booze. The first of the two ways of getting booze was through someone in the Air Force Station which was quite near the college. When this became much difficult by the Commanding Officer’s instructions, the students were left with the second and the more strenuous way. The students would travel five long hours to Pondicherry and would lounge about the beaches the whole day, drinking and chattering continuously on all sorts of topics. They would then take the night bus back with one or two bottles of rum with them. They would try to trick the cops by using a very cheap bag and keeping it away from themselves. So that even in a surprise check they wouldn’t get caught. And if by chance they get caught redhanded, they would simply give it away to the cop so that he would let them go. The students did not even hesitate to start ‘visiting’- a word used by the author for visiting a prostitute. And they were available right outside the college gates after dark. About affairs, the writer says that only rich guys could afford them by giving expensive gifts to the ‘chicks’ from the women’s college. Love affairs are an indispensable aspect of the campus and so forms one of the aspects of campus novel. But most of the campus novels exhibit a very frank treatment of sex. few examples are- Saros Cowasjee’s Goodbye to Elsa, K. M. Trishanku’s Onion Peel, Rani Dharker’s The Virgin Syndrome, etc. The Narrator also depicts sex quite freely. The novel abounds in extramarital relationships, child abuse, incest, sodomy, mental adultery, voluptuousness and pure love. Rahul’s students are brought in only in on e scene but this one episode reveals a lot about the students of the present generation. When Rahul enters 15 minutes late to the class, giving the reason that he had a late night, some students titter taking his words as an indication of a private encounter. Many students had left for coffee not to return to the class. Their lack of patience and audacity is expressed in the words-â€Å"Oh Sir, they went of for coffee when you didn’t show up until ten-fifteen†. [TNAN 96] and today’s teachers also seem to accept this kind of behavior. The novel can also be considered Crit-Fiction. â€Å"Crit-Fiction† is a kind of novel which is written by a lecturer or a professor. In the recent years many professors have started writing novels. A few examples of such Indian writers are Manju Kapoor, M. K. Naik, Amitav Ghosh, Anita Desai, Meena Alexander and others. As Elaine Showalter puts it, the novelist before writing his novel should create or imagine a world which has some kind of logical relation to the real world, within which he can explore the themes that interest him through the narrative. The university or college provides such a world ready-made – a small world which is a kind of microcosm of the larger world. An author’s writing will be realistic if it is inspired by his experience. The author Makarand Paranjape has been able to write about the campus so lucidly because he was a professor and has the first-hand information about the aspects of campus. It is quite interesting that in the novel The Narrator, the protagonist, Rahul Patwardhan is also a lecturer and he too is a writer. Finally one cannot afford to overlook the very unique and exalting theme of the novel which is the difficulty of writing a work of art. Rahul had such an extensive knowledge about the narratology or the art of the narrative, that he had become an inhibiting influence on Baddy, the other half of his split personality, as he shot down Baddy’s attempts of writing narratives. I knew too bloody much about the theory to let even my imagination do the actual writing. TNAN 75] He discusses his difficulty with Dr. Jenny O’Sullivan, a visiting British Council scholar, who had come to visit Hyderabad, researching on a book to be set in India. I am too critical; I cannot get to put pen to paper without scratching out what I’ve written. [TNAN 258] By O’Sullivan’s suggestion, he finds out the solution: Every attempt at creation is f ounded upon a similar act of deconstruction. Writing, thus, is a cruel activity. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Before one writes one had to give birth to a writing self. This is the self which will then invent characters, situations, and themes. [ TNAN 269] The novel The Narrator: A Novel has many aspects of campus novel in it like the kind of life lead by a lecturer, his loyalty and involvement in his academic pursuits, his struggle to produce substantial literary works, his relations with his colleagues and students; the behavior of the students, their misadventures; the lavish lifestyles of students who are not disciplined either by the parents or the authorities in the college, their love affairs etc. re delineated in a very conducive way. The protagonist’s views both as a student and then as a lecturer are involved in the novel. Makarand Paranjape has been able to throw sufficient light on all these aspects of campus life as he has been a professor and very well-acquainted with the campus. So with the points discussed so far, The Narrator: A Novel can be considered a campus novel. Works Cited 1. Rahul Chaturvedi, â€Å"Self as Narrative in The Narrator: A Novel: A Narratological Perspective†, The Criterion: An International Journal in English, ISSN 0976-8165 Vol. II. -Issue 1, 2011. 2. http://www. makarand. com/reviews/ReviewsofTheNarrator. html. 3. http://is. muni. cz/th/66512/ff_b/Bakalarska_prace_24. 4. 2006. doc 4. Makarand Paranjape, The Narrator: A Novel, (New Delhi: Rupa Co. 1995), Hereafter cited as TNAN with page nos. in parentheses. 5. Showalter, Elaine- Faculty Towers: The Academic Novel and its Discontents; Oxford University Press, 2005. 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Case Study Reed Hastings Leadership & Governance of Netflix

Question: 1. Analyse the following questions based on the case scenario. You need to present and EVALUATE the facts and explore the hidden leadership principles behind these facts? How did Hastings change his use of communications in sending and receiving messages from Pure Software to Netflix? How did Hastings change his use of feedback from Pure Software to Netflix? How did Hastings change his use of coaching guidelines from Pure Software to Netflix? Which conflict management style did Hastings tend to use at Pure and Netflix? In making a deal with Epix, which conflict management style was most likely used by Netflix? 2. How would you improve Netflixs product offerings (i.e., what things cant you watch that you would like to watch) or processes (i.e., how can it improve its delivery or service)? 3. Which level or levels of analysis and leadership paradigm are presented in this case, and did Hastings use the management or leadership paradigm? 4. How did Hastings Big Five model of personality leadership traits change from Pure Software to Netflix? 5. Which University of Iowa leadership styles did Hastings use at Pure Software and Netflix? 6. Explain how power, organisational politics, networking, and negotiation are, or are not, discussed in the case? Answer: 1. Introduction Effective leadership is the key to success for all organisations (Armstrong Stephens, 2005). No organisation can survive in a long run without having a clearly defined and realistic vision and this vision is created by a leader who lives by the values that supports his vision. Leaders possess the inherit charisma with which they influence their followers to live by values. The case depicts various leadership styles and theories practiced by Reed Hastings, CEO Netflix. It studies how change in leadership style helped Hastings in making Netflix the worlds leading internet subscription service that enable customers enjoy numerous movies and TV shows. Founded in year 1997, Netflix today operates in around 50 countries and has above 50 million subscribers (Netflix, 2014). Reed Hastings is cofounder of Netflix which he started after his former company Pure Software was acquired by Rational Software. Hastings is an active educational philanthropist and had been one of the board members of companies like Face book and Microsoft. Hastings communication style at Pure Software and Netflix Effective communication is the greatest strength of an effective leader (Bass Bass, 2009). Communication is the process by which sender transmits its message to the receiver through verbal, non-verbal or written signals (Blundel Ippolito, 2008). In order to maintain a healthy relationship with employees it is essential that all important information are effectively communicated to employees which further helps enhancing job satisfaction and reducing uncertainty. Effective communication is primarily responsible for building a knowledge sharing workplace culture (Fielding, 2006). At Pure Software Hastings used autocratic leadership style wherein he imposed his wishes on his people. He preferred one-way communication wherein he never encouraged his people to openly share their views and ideas. He never asked his people for their input and made all decisions by himself. He used negative verbal and non-verbal communication style wherein he rolled his eyes and passed critical comments wh en he found that ideas shared by employees were not useful. This way of communication greatly de-motivated his employee who refrained themselves from participating in any discussions. Authoritarian leadership communication style result in creation of task culture where people are judged based on their level of productivity and not quality (Murithi, et al., 2011). However this communication style result in an increase in productivity in presence of the leader only and when the leader is absent productivity tends to decrease. It results in high level of aggression among employee which ultimately leads to high attrition rate. At Netflix Hastings wanted to develop a workplace culture where people enjoyed coming everyday thus he preferred participative leadership style. Participative leaders encourage two-way communication where employees are encouraged to openly share their views and participate in decision making (Daft, 2014). Hastings encouraged his employees at Netflix to provide inputs and used positive communication style like further questioning them over their ideas. The main advantage of this communication style is that employees display high productivity and quality even when the leader is not present. Culture at Netflix is similar to entrepreneurial culture where people are highly motivation and display high degree of creativity and innovation. However leaders using this form of communication is at times taken for granted as they do not make use of their powers to direct employees. Hastings choice of feedback method at Pure Software and Netflix Feedback is a process where in one party gets the input from other party on the work done by first party for second one (Bakliwal, 2011). There could be different way of communicating feedback, however most effective and constructive way depends upon the time and basis on which it is given. Generally every manager or supervisor should provide feedback immediately to their employees as soon as the work gets completed and it should always be given on the basis of some facts and statistic (Fox, 2007). It should not always be subjective, but good mix of objective and subjective contents. It also depends on the leadership style, as we can see that in Pure Software, Hasting followed Stop, Start and Continue approach to provide feedback to its employees. It represents or similar to autocratic leadership style where in manager gave his employees step by step directional order, like when to stop, start and when to continue. In this feedback process, there is only one way of communication proc ess which flows from boss to its employees. Drawback of this process is that employees decision making process becomes dull and they just followed the order given to them by their supervisors. However, in Netflix he followed participative approach wherein he showed respect to its employees as well. He adopted Feedback Sandwich method, where in process start on constructive note and then discussion goes on how to improve things and again end with on a positive note. Hastings choice of coaching guidelines at Pure Software and Netflix Coaching is defined as the process by which leaders provide motivational feedback to their employees which further helps enhancing their overall performance (Hellriegel John W. Slocum, 2011). Choice of coaching guidelines depends on leaders choice of leadership style. At Pure Software Hastings used autocratic leadership style where followers are forced to follow the path showed by the leader. However in case of Netflix he used participative leadership style where followers are encouraged to choose their own ways of working and the leader acts as a part of the group. He uses his skills and expertise to support employees in making their own decisions. At Netflix Hastings focused on developing a supportive working relationship by supporting his employee in finding right solutions. He stopped blaming and embarrassing his employees and started praising them and recognising their efforts. He stopped focusing on productivity of the employees and started emphasizing on their behaviour and p erformance quality. Employee where empowered enough to make their decisions and evaluate their outcomes. He emphasized on providing timely but flexible feedback that was specific and descriptive in nature. At Netflix he used job instructional training so that employees feel confident about their decisions. They were no more criticised if their solutions were not up to the mark. Hastings choice of conflict management style at Pure Software and Netflix Conflicts are very common in a human environment and leaders choice of conflict management style determines the culture of an organisation (Hall, 2008). Forcing conflict management style was used by Hastings at Pure Software where his ultimate goal was to get the tasks done by his employees according to the ways directed by him. Aggressive and uncooperative behaviour characterises forcing conflict style where the leader is just concerned about satisfying his personal interest and has no concern about interest of his followers (Bakliwal, 2011). This style helps making tough decisions that are more effective than decisions made as a result of compromise to meet the expectations of all. Excessive use of this style creates a negative image for the leader. Collaborating conflict management style also called as problem-solving style is used by Hastings at Netflix. Assertive and cooperative behaviour characterises collaborating conflict style where the user assertively tries to resolve the conflict by involving other people and solves the conflict in a way that it satisfies interest of all members involved (Blundel Ippolito, 2008). All members involved in decision making are more concerned about their own interest however emphasis is made to solve the issue in a way that its benefits all. This style delivers the best possible solution for an issue as it involves assertiveness. This style however requires more time, skills and efforts to resolve a conflict. Hastings conflict management style for making a deal with Epix Negotiating conflict management style was used by Hastings to win the Epix deal with Netflix. This style resolves the conflict by using the principle of give and take (Daft, 2014). The solution is beneficial to both the parties involved and they take advantage of each others expertise. It is also referred to as compromising style which maintains a balance between assertiveness and cooperation. This style consumes comparatively less time and efforts and also helps in maintaining healthy interpersonal relations. The main disadvantage of this style is that people involved many times play games by making demands that are not justified (Armstrong Stephens, 2005). Hastings made a choice of this conflict management style as the deal was complex in nature and he wanted to decide on terms that favoured both the parties. 2. Recommendations for improving product offerings and processes of Netflix Netflix should make further attempts to improve their customer services. They should conduct online surveys and other campaigns to collect as much customer feedbacks as possible. Existing customer comments on online forums reveal that they feel Netflix services are overpriced. They should conduct competitor analysis to find out ways by which they can provide their services at comparatively affordable prices. They should focus more on their marketing strategies and promotion techniques so that they can reach more customers and spread brand awareness. They can use various sales promotion techniques like discount coupons and customer loyalty cards in order to retain customers. They should try uploading latest videos and movies in order to meet customer demands. DVD-by-mail service is expected to grow in near future thus Netflix should focus more on improving this service. In order to become more social they should incorporate improved fan/ community features within their services. Netfl ix should not be treated as a service but a network that connects people with common interest. Attempts should be made to become a customer-oriented subscription service but meeting the demand of todays dynamic customers. They should keep track of their loyal customers and should update them when their desired videos and movie arrive. This will help them increasing brand loyalty. 3. Leadership paradigms presented in the case Classical and transformational leadership paradigms are the two paradigms presented in the case. At Pure Software Hastings displays the use of autocratic leadership style wherein he directs his followers to get the work done according to his ways. Hastings leadership style at Pure Software is an example of classical leadership paradigm where he is seen as a directive leader who is task-oriented and has no interest in growth and development of his followers (Fox, 2007). At Netflix Hastings chooses to change his leadership style to participative leadership style wherein he encouraged his employees to share their views and be innovative. His leadership style at Netflix is an example of visionary/ transformational leadership paradigm where the leader is people-oriented and is greatly concerned about the growth and development of his followers (Blundel Ippolito, 2008). Hastings had a vision for Netflix and used innovation as a means of achieving his vision. 4. Hastings big five personality leadership traits at Pure Software and Netflix Hastings displayed a completely different personality at both his companies. Openness: Hastings displayed high degree of creativity at both the companies however he was more open to new ideas and options at Netflix. Stability: Hastings displayed remarkable problem solving capabilities at both the companies however at Netflix he showed more stability as compared to Pure Software and never embarrassed his employee if their ideas where not up to the mark. Sociability: Hastings is seen to be an introvert at Pure Software and as an extrovert at Netflix. Thus his sociability has increased at Netflix as compared to Pure Software. Agreeableness: Effective leaders are always seen to possess low level of agreeableness. Hastings encouraged his employee to share their views however also asked them to show how their ideas will actually work. Thus he possessed low level of agreeableness. Conscientiousness: Hastings is always seen as a goal-oriented leader who puts in best efforts to achieve desired goals. At both Pure Software and Netflix he displayed high level of Conscientiousness. 5. Hastings choice of University of Iowa leadership style at Pure Software and Netflix Autocratic leadership style is used by Hastings at Pure Software where he never asked his employees for their inputs and made all important decisions by himself (Bass Bass, 2009). He is seen as a task-oriented leader who is not concerned about his employees and treats them as mere machines. However at Netflix Hastings used democratic leadership style and is seen as a people-oriented leader who is greatly concerned about the growth of his employees (Bass Bass, 2009). He encouraged his employee to provide input and considered them while making important decisions. At Netflix he is respected by his employees and is seen as a role model. He is the prime reason behind the remarkable success of Netflix. 6. Analysis of how organisational politics, power, negotiation and networking are discussed or not in the case The Reed Hastings-Netflix case depicts in a very effective manner how choice of leadership style affects the growth of an organisation as a whole. Hastings use of power has been effectively discussed in the way he embarrassed his employees at Pure Software and made them follow his rules (Fairholm, 2009). Throughout the case there is almost no mention of how Hastings handled issues like organisational politics. The case discusses about the contract between Epix and Netflix but does not go in details how Hastings used his negotiation skills to win the contract. Also there is no mention of how he used his negotiation skills with his employees and clients. Networking is discussed in the case but not in details enough to understand its role in the remarkable success of Netflix. Conclusion Leaders choice of leadership style and theories frame the culture of an organisation and is primarily responsible for the motivation of its employees. Leaders always act as a role model for their followers and tend to live by their values to achieve common organisational goals and performance objectives. An in-depth analysis of the case reveals that its Hastings change in his leadership style, communication, feedback and conflict management style that has made Netflix what it is today. It shows that people-oriented leaders always create a workplace where employees enjoy coming every day. References Armstrong, M. Stephens, T., (2005) A Handbook of Management and Leadership: A Guide to Managing for Results. London: Kogan Page Publishers. Bakliwal, V. K., (2011) Production and Operation Management. New Delhi: Pinnacle Technology. Bass, B. M. Bass, R., (2009) The Bass Handbook of Leadership: Theory, Research, and Managerial Applications. New York: Simon and Schuster. Blundel, R. Ippolito, K., (2008) Effective Organisational Communication: Perspectives, Principles and Practices. London: FT Prentice Hall. Daft, R., (2014) The Leadership Experience. New York: Cengage Learning. Fairholm, G. W., (2009) Organizational Power Politics: Tactics in Organizational Leadership. Westport: ABC-CLIO. Fielding, M., (2006) Effective Communication in Organisations. Cape Town: Juta and Company Ltd. Fox, W., (2007) Managing Organisational Behaviour. Cape Town: Juta and Company Ltd. Hall, A., (2008) Overcoming Resistance to Organizational Change Initiatives. Conflict Management and Dispute Resolution, 1(1), pp. 1-11. Hellriegel, D. John W. Slocum, J., (2011) Organisational Behaviour. New York: Cengage Learning. Murithi, T., Cheney, G., May, S. Munshi, D., (2011) Handbook of Communication Ethics. New Jersey: Routledge. Netflix, (2014) Officers Directors. [Online] Available at: https://ir.netflix.com/management.cfm [Accessed 2014].

MIDDLE EAST Essays - Western Asia, Arabian Peninsula,

MIDDLE EAST MIDDLE EAST Regional Makeup- There are three main regions that make up the Middle East. The Fertile Cresent it includes the countries of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Isreal, and Jordan. It is a 1000 mile long area of, fertile land and is shaped like a cresent moon. Another region is the Highlands it includes the countries of Turkey, Iran, and Afghanistan.A sereies of mountain ranges stretch through these countries. They are the Taurus Mountains,Elburz Mountains, and the Zagros Mountains.A third region is the Arabian Peninsula it is bordered by the Red Sea, Persian Gulf and,Arabian Sea. Its land area is about 1 milloin squaremiles Saudi Arabia the largest country in the Middle East takes up much of the area. Much of the rest is covered by the Rub' al-Khali or the empty quarter. Physical Features- There are many physical features made up of water such as seas the Red, Mediterranean, Dead, Caspian, Arabain, and Black. Rivers the Euphrates and Tigris are the main rivers. Straits the Bosporus and the Dardanelles. Gulfs Aden, Persian, and Oman. There is also two plateaus the Iranian and the Anatolian and three main mountain chains Zagros, Elburz, and the Taurus. Deserts the Rub' al-Khali (empty quater). Lifestyles- If you lived in the Middle East you would probally not have much money and no material things. You have to work all day to survive the types of work you would probally be doing is herding sheep,weaving baskets,selling fruit at the markets,and trading goods. Languages- Pastro,Dari,Farsi,Turkish,Kurdish,Arabic,Persian,Hebrew,English,French, and Armenian. Major agricultural,manufactured, and exported products- Exports-Crude Oil,Petroleum, Services, Machinery,Diamonds, and Natural Gas. Imports-Motor Vehicles, Machinery,Food,and Crude Oil. Agriculture-sheep and fruits. The thing that interested me most about the Middle East is that if you are a muslim you must visit Mecca at least once in your life if you can afford it. That interests me because if you are catholic you do not have to visit Vatican City home of the Pope. Another thing that interested me about the muslim religion is that you must pray in the direction of Mecca wich is the most holy city in the muslim religion. Extra tidbits of information- In our textbooks it states that three major religions were started in the Middle East they were Judism,Christianity,and Islamic but I found out that a fourht major religion was also started there it is Zoroastrianism. The meaning for the word muslim is "Those who surrender to gods will" In sixth century B.C. the Persians overran the whole Middle East and set up a ruling system that became the model for all later empires.

Representation of Culture in Japanese Animation Essays

Representation of Culture in Japanese Animation Essays Representation of Culture in Japanese Animation Essay Representation of Culture in Japanese Animation Essay RESEARCH PROPOSAL: REPRESENTATIONS OF CULTURE IN JAPANESE ANIMATION BY: ASHA JHINA ROLL NO. : 0914152 SUMITTED TO: DR. SAGARIKA GOLDER CHRIST UNIVERSITY BANGALORE Animation, more commonly known as cartoons is a very integral part of a child’s growing years. A medium which started out with a sole purpose of providing entertainment has progressed into a kind of a new-age education method. Cartoons/animations are not merely a tool to keep viewers occupied, it aims to familiarise people with their culture and their roots. Through this research paper I aim to isolate the very specifics of culture which are represented in media, especially cartoons. I have narrowed my research to ‘manga’ more commonly known as ‘anime’ which is the Japanese form of animation. Japan is known to have one of the oldest and strongest historical and cultural roots which are still relevant. Previous research has shown that people who are regular followers of anime do not watch it just as a form of entertainment but also to learn about a new and enigmatic culture. The Japanese are not one of the most outgoing people therefore a medium such as anime provides an interesting as well as visually appealing insight into their lives and culture. I wish to write my research paper by referring to the different kinds of work that has been done on this topic by others. This paper shall be based on facts collected through research and a survey among anime followers. By the end of this research I aim to draw parallels between Japanese culture and the content of different Animes.

A View on the Mozarts Symphony No. 41 in C Major, K. 551 as Explained by Woody Allen

A View on the Mozart's Symphony No. 41 in C Major, K. 551 as Explained by Woody Allen Woody Allen describes Mozart’s Symphony No. 41 in C Major, K. 551 as a composition that proved the existence of God. There is a reason that Allen, several other scholars of the classical period, and the majority of music lovers alike consider Mozart’s â€Å"Jupiter† Symphony to be one of extremes. The innovative and artistic mastery which make up the framework of the symphony creates an experience where a complexity of emotions could take place in this piece. The amount of several differing expressive and compositional contrasts which take place in this single symphonic work have astounded audiences for hundreds of years and is considered to be a work fifty years ahead of its time. The most prolific reason as to why this symphony is so highly regarded in the classical repertoire would have to the be what Mozart accomplishes in the finale of this work. At the end of the movement Mozart is able to successfully take the style of late 18th century instrumental practice, with exceptionally involved counterpoint creating a style of music transcending both of the styles into one of pure and exhilarating originality. This transcendence which Mozart achieved is due in part to a five-part fugato representing five different themes which occur throughout the finale of the work. Mozart takes the five themes and interlays each theme in unity among one another across the whole ensemble. This contrapuntal mastery which takes place has been deemed as one of the greatest finales of music preceding the scientific revolution. However, the significance of the symphony as a whole in terms of the historical context make the reputation of the symphony quite reputable among scholarâ₠¬â„¢s due to the commission of and inspiration of the â€Å"Jupiter† Symphony. No one is exactly sure as to the reason why Mozart wrote this symphony and whether he ever listened to a performance of this symphony as well. Mozart wrote the Symphony No. 41 along with his 39th and 40th symphonies during a period of six weeks in the summer of 1788. During this time Mozart was in serious debt and had to move to the suburb of Alsergrund in order to avoid paying high rental expenses. Some scholars believe that this symphony was composed only for the purpose of making Mozart money so that he could no longer struggle in order to pay his rent. Others believe that Mozart knew that the â€Å"Jupiter† symphony would be his last as he put everything in terms of style, contrast, and emotion into this final symphony. The first movement begins brilliantly in the key of C major. This movement happens to be in sonata allegro form which was traditional of the time. The second movement of this piece is marked Andante cantabile and is known to create dissonance and drama signifying some internal struggle. The third movement of the piece is a minuet that contains an allegretto and trio. This movement features an Austrian folk-dance form and contains interesting instances of imitative texture. Although these movements may not be as highly regarded as the fourth movement, the first three movements also contain innovative and symphonic mastery which only someone like Mozart could succeed in doing. Only Mozart could compose a symphony in less than six weeks and have the symphony contain a legacy spanning generations of musicians. The significance of final symphony of the Austrian composer will continue to baffle listeners young and old as no other composer could imitate the craft of composition and symphoni c art to which Mozart dedicated much of his life to.

LETTER FROM BIRMINGHAM JAIL, the trial and death of socrates book Essay

LETTER FROM BIRMINGHAM JAIL, the trial and death of socrates book - Essay Example t or wrong - acting the part of a good man or of a bad.† (Plato, 48) Socrates believed that danger and fear of death are irrelevant from a moral standpoint and he provides significant illustrations from the Greek epics, suggesting that Achilles never had any thought of death and danger. A man ought to remain in the place which he has chosen or that in which he has been placed by a commander at hour of danger and he should not think of death or of anything, except about disgrace or shame. Socrates condemns danger and fear of death as the source of all unwise deeds and they lead one to disgraceful or shameful deeds in life. â€Å"For this fear of death is indeed the pretence of wisdom, and not real wisdom, being the appearance of knowing the unknown; since no one knows whether death, which they in their fear apprehend to be the greatest evil, may not be the greatest good. Is there not here conceit of knowledge, which is a disgraceful sort of ignorance?† (Plato, 49) In shor t, Socrates provides convincing description and illustrations for the â€Å"virtuous life†, danger and fear of death, and â€Å"shame†. According to Socrates, the laws of Athens will be damaged if he escapes his death sentence and he provides striking reasons for claiming so. Socrates believes that a State cannot subsist and be overthrown, if the decisions of law have no power, but are set aside and overthrown by individuals. Every citizen of Athens, especially a clever rhetorician as Socrates, should have a good awareness of the evil of setting aside the law which requires a sentence to be carried out. Socrates believes that he has been in an important contract or agreement with the laws of Athens according to which he should abide by the sentence of the State. Thus, he fears the contempt of the state for not obeying this contract. â€Å"Tell us what complaint you have to make against us which justifies you in attempting to destroy us and the State? †¦ Has a philosopher like you failed to discover

The Catastrophes Experienced in the Modern World Essay

The Catastrophes Experienced in the Modern World - Essay Example Some human actions have played a role in creating global warming and escalating the calamity in the world. The primary cause of global warming is the greenhouse effect. Upon reaching the surface of the earth, an amount of sunlight is absorbed, while the rest radiates back to the atmosphere (Balachandran 107). The sun that radiates to the atmosphere does so at a longer wavelength, with some wavelengths being absorbed by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Some of the heat energy that would be lost to space is reflected the earth’s surface by the greenhouse gases. Thus, the decisions of human beings to adopt the widespread use of greenhouses have significantly contributed to the escalation of global warming. The increase in global warming can be attributed to high incidences involving the use of greenhouse gases (Atwood 15). The emission of carbon dioxide also causes global warming; burning of fuels plays a role in escalating the incidences of global warming all over the world. Fuels such as diesel, natural gas, petrol, oil, organic diesel, and organic petrol mainly contributed to global warming and overall environmental degradation. Industries emit harmful carbon dioxide gas to the environment, causing massive destruction of the environment. When carbon dioxide is released to the environment, it remains in the atmosphere for as long as 100 to 200 years. The increased concentration of carbon dioxide in the environment creates a rise in earth’s temperature. Another factor responsible for the rise in global warming is the increased pollution caused by the clearing of vegetation cover. Human beings invade forests and clear vegetation and trees in order to settle.

The Effect of Celebrity Endorsement on Consumer Buying Behavior Essay Example for Free

The Effect of Celebrity Endorsement on Consumer Buying Behavior Essay The crescendo of celebrities endorsing brands has been steadily increasing over the past 20 years or so. Marketers overtly acknowledge the power of celebrity in influencing buyers purchase decision. They have firm believe that likeability or a favorable attitude towards a brand is created by the use of a celebrity. The crore of rupees spent per year on celebrity endorsement contracts show that celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, Sharukh khan and Sachin Tendulkar play an important role for the advertising industry. It is an established fact that celebrity endorsement can bestow unique features or special attributes upon a product that it may have lacked otherwise. In India from late 1970s and early 80s the new trend in advertising started. Brands started being endorsed by celebrities. Hindi film and TV stars as well as sportspersons were roped in to endorse prominent brands. Advertisements featuring stars like Late Jalal Agha (Pan Parag), Tabassum (Prestige cookers), Sunil Gavaskar for Dinesh Suiting, Ravi Shastri and Vivian Richards (Vimal), Persis Khambhata and Kapil Dev (Palmolive Shaving cream) became common . Though marketers should remember that celebrities are mere living beings like us and if they can highlight the benefits or advantages of a brand they can also have some uncanny negative impact. Theory and practice suggests that the use of stars and their unleashing power in advertising generate a lot of publicity and attention from the public but the underline questions are, do these stars really help a brand by increasing its sales? On the other hand, can they really have an Impact on the persons consumption pattern, thereby changing his brand preference? How an advertisement featuring a celebrity can influence consumers buying decision and can create an association between a brand and a common man. To answer these questions, the article will examine the relationship between celebrity endorsements and brands, and the impact of celebrity endorsement on consumers buying behaviour as well as how consumer makes brand preferences. We will apply a wide range of accepted principles of how consumers brand attitudes and preferences can be influenced, how buyers behavior can be influenced, how buyers behavior can be molded. We will use the principles of credibility of source and attractiveness, the match-up hypothesis, the consumer decision-making model and the communication model to understand this phenomenon. Brand- A layman  perspective Brand is the proprietary visual, emotional, rational and cultural image that you can associate with a company or the product. Few examples will bring home the meaning i.e. Amul utterly butterly delicious; Coke – thanda matlab coca-cola; Pepsi – Yeh dil mange more; Kurkure- Masti bole to kurkure and Daewoo ka India. These examples convey one message that when people watch advertisement a connect is being created and result is that people go for experience of buying. People feel by using the brand they will portray certain traits or characteristics that otherwise they do not have. This generates a certain level of emotional affiliation and a sense of fulfillment. It is this emotional relationship with brands that make them so powerful. Advertisements enforces what exactly the brand stands for and what to expect by its consumption and above all what factors, features and attributes makes it better from competition. Advertisements along with other marketing efforts generate expectations and feelings in a customer and force them to think when they see or hear the brand name. This Thinking process and emotional bonding gets more mature and relevant when a celebrity endorses the brand. The subjective intangible feelings of a customer become objective and tangible in the form of celebrity and the level of expectations will rise. The customer will start to perceive himself in the reference frame of the celebrity after the brand or the advertised product has been purchased or consumed by him. Celebrity and a Brand Star power in India can be gauged by the successful endorsements done by Sharukh Khan (Pepsi, Hyundai Santro, Sunfeast, and Navratan etc.), Amitabh Bachchan, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Hrithik Roshan and the others. The inevitable question is, if and how the lively interest of the public in the rich and famous can be efficiently and effectively used by companies to promote their brands and consequently to increase their sales revenues. This fact can be brought out by using certain examples i.e. Mr. Amitabh Bachchan promoting Cadbury chocolates after the fiasco of infestation when the image of Cadbury India went very low in the eyes of people. Soon the company found a perfect fit and a reliable celebrity to transmit the correct message and help regenerating the lost trust. The fit between the product and celebrity  is evident as Mr. Bachchan and Cadbury chocolates both have tested troubled times and still they stand tall and the love and trust they both share with the people al l across India. This is a live example of how a celebrity brought certain attributes to a product like chocolate. Actor Sharukh khan has also endorsed diversified products. His endorsement basket is ranging from Hyundai Santro to Sunfeast biscuits on one hand and from Compaq computers to Videocon electronics on the other. According to Advertising research companies both the actors are doing well and the ad spent on both by the companies is increasing at a phenomenal rate, so does their basket of endorsements. These actors bring reliability and trust in the brand and above all, they help in increasing the sales revenues. Celebrity endorsements are powerful, has become evident from the above two examples but, why is it so? This power is offered by the following elements, which also creates a Top of the Mind Position. * Instant Awareness, knowledge about the brand and easy recall. * Values and image of the brand is defined, highlighted and refreshed by the celebrity. * The celebrity adds new edge and dimension to the brand. * Credibility, trust, association, aspiration and connectivity to brand. * Belief in efficiency and new appearance that will result in at least trial usage. Understanding Consumer Behaviour Consumer behaviour is the study of how people buy, what they buy, when they buy and why they buy. It blends elements from psychology, sociology, sociopsychology, anthropology and economics. It attempts to understand the buyer decision-making process, both individually and in groups. It studies characteristics of individual consumers such as demographics, psychographics, and behavioral variables in an attempt to understand peoples wants. It also tries to assess influences on the consumer from groups such as family, friends, reference groups, and society in general. The study and knowledge of consumer behavior helps firms and organizations to improve their marketing strategies and product offerings. Following are the important issues that have significant influence on consumers psyche  and their ability to take decisions: †¢ The psychology of how consumers think, feel, reason, and select between different alternatives (e.g., brands, products); †¢ The psychology of how the consumer is influenced by his or her environment (e.g., culture, family, signs, media); †¢ The behavior of consumers while shopping or making other marketing decisions; †¢ Limitations in consumer knowledge or information processing abilities influence decisions and marketing outcome; †¢ How consumer motivation and decision strategies differ between products that differ in their level of importance or interest that they entail for the consumer; and †¢ How marketers can adapt and improve their marketing campaigns and marketing strategies to more effectively reach the consumer. †¢ Their Age, Religion, Culture, Income, informal group and Referent Group. Understanding these issues helps us adapt our strategies by taking the consumer into consideration. Traditional Factors affecting consumer decision making There are several factors that affect consumers decision to purchase a brand and a product. These factors though at time are not very much visible but they make an impact and affects sales of a product or brand up to a great extent. The table below shows some of these factors. Impact of a Brand on consumer purchase decision Research studies have proven that known products and names are sold more than unknown ones. Therefore, a known brand or an optimally exposed brand will find more recognition and buyers in the market in comparison to completely unknown or unexposed brand. Recognition of brand and its significance along with the traditional factors plays a very significant role in consumer decision-making process. More or less every consumer has a brand preference and given the affordability and societal norms, each buyer would like to buy and consume one of the highly acceptable, recognizable, and reputed brands. The above given model explains the important role that a brand plays in three different stages of consumers purchase decision making. A consumer start collecting data or information about his favourite brand than he keeps his favourite as one of the alternatives and he evaluate his selected brand against all available options and on finding it suitable or best among all options based upon a qualitative and quantitative evaluation he will ultimately purchase the selected or favourite brand. The diagram above explains how various traditional factors along with brand preference interact during purchase decision process and finally results into a consumers final product choice or ultimate purchase. Celebrity and a brand Surveys suggest that compared to any other types of endorsers, famous people achieve a higher degree of attention and recall. They increase awareness of a companys advertising as well as help in retention of message in the psyche of the audience. They can also help the company in reducing their expenditure on Media and other forms of publicity. An example will bring more clarity, When S Kumars, a known textile brand entered into readymade garments business they used Hrithik Roshan, then the hottest advertising icon for their launch advertising for TAMARIND, now one of the premium readymade brands. They reckoned that they have spent 40-50 percent less on media due to sheer impact of using hottest star like Hrithik. The Ad recall was as high as 70 percent and the campaign can be termed as a great success. Celebrities also create positive feelings towards brands, connect user to brand and are perceived by consumers as more entertaining. Using a celebrity in advertising or for any, other type of communication for brand building is likely to positively affect consumers brand preference, brand attitude, brand association and purchase intentions. To ensure positive results, however, it is critical for advertisers to have a clear understanding of consumers reactions and reinforcement of celebrity endorsement. The impact of celebrity endorsement on any brand as well as on consumers purchase decision is very critical. Source Credibility Central goal of advertising is the convincing of consumers and persuasion to purchase, the ultimate objective, though not openly spoken, is to some how attract consumers to the market offering of the company, generating positive attitude, reinforce positive association and ultimately to generate sales,  may be a trial purchase. At later stages, the sponsor may work towards creating a brand loyalty but generating initial sales or increasing the existing sales is the primary objective. In this respect, the credibility of an endorser along with advertisement plays an important role in convincing the target audience of the attractiveness of the companys brand and generates sales. Pursuing a celebrity endorsement strategy enables advertisers to project a credible image in terms of expertise, persuasiveness, trustworthiness, and objectiveness. To create effective messages, celebrity advertisers also have to consider the attractiveness of the spokesperson. Source attractiveness refers to the endorsers Physical appearance, Personality, Likeability and Similarity to the receiver, thus to the perceived social value of the source. This behavior mainly goes back to halo effect, whereby persons who perform well on one dimension example: physical attractiveness or top professional performance, social status are assumed to excel on other levels as well i.e. happiness and coolness. This is evident from the use of Fardeen Khan, modern, dynamic, outgoing and smart personality for Provogue; he translates the modernism of the brand well. Titan uses Aamir Khan in his different avatars for communicating to the public that their watches are as reliable and passionate as Aamir is for films. Both Fardeen and Aamir carry the message well and enhance the credibility of the brand they endorse. Establishing a Perfect Match Research proves that a spokesperson especially for a service product or organization (ICICI- First Amitabh Bachchan, now Shahrukh Khan) interacts with the type of brand being advertised. These stars communicate the value of the product and transform an ordinary service into a miracle solution for all problems of an ordinary customer. According to Friedman and Friedman (1979), a famous relative to a normal spokesperson is more effective for products high in psychological or social risk, involving such elements as good taste, self-image, and opinion of others. Several research studies have examined the congruency between celebrity endorsers and brands to explain the effectiveness of using famous persons to promote brands. In India, a brand called Reid Taylor presented its perfect example when they first launched their advertising campaign featuring James Bond fame of the time Mr. Pierce Brosnan along with the tagline BOND WITH THE BEST but the James  Bond idea did not worked and the company was not happy with the results. After the debacle of the first campaign, company introduced a family ad where children are celebrating there parents silver wedding anniversary and they are out with their father to purchase a suit for him. Even this commercial did not work and it was taken off the air. As a last resort, company introduced Mr. Amitabh Bachchan as Reid Taylor man, a man propagating the brand for special occasion and for very special people in life. The commercial from the initial days got good response and did extremely well as people were able to connect with Mr. Bachchan and the values he was propagating. For the masses, there was a perfect match of an ideal Indian family man, a star and a good quality but bit highly priced brand reserved especially for special occasions and for very special people. Second example that can be quoted is of Vishwanathan Anand, who endorsed NIIT. NIIT adopted a very smart strategy by roping in Vishwanathan Anand an international chess wizard for their advertising campaign. As chess is considered to be a game full of strategies and a game for smart people and when one of the greats of the game is asking people to join NIIT it was suppose to have a positive influence on the people and actually it had. There was complete congruency and compatibility between the celebrity endorser, the product and the message. Contrary to only favorable outcomes, there are several examples where the product, even the entire campaign collapsed due to heavy weight celebrity as the agency or the ad failed to establish the relationship between the endorser and the product. Keeping the focus only on success, where the product and the celebrity were a perfect match, following are few examples: Celebrity Endorser Company / Product Amitabh Bachchan * Dabur * Cadbury * Reid and Taylor * Parker Shahrukh Khan * Santro * Videocon * Sunfeast * Pepsi Juhi Chawala * Kurkure Ustad Zakir Hussain * Taj mahal tea Aamir Khan * Titan * Coke * Toyota Innova Aishwarya Rai * Nakshatra * Lux Rani Mukherjee * Fanta * Nestle Munch Kajol and Ajay Devgan * Whirlpool * Tata Indicom The campaigns are not only basking with the glory of success stories, but there is considerable number of failures as well. Assuming that a person just have to be famous to represent a successful brand, however, would be incorrect and may turn out to be a very dangerous preposition resulting into a big calamity for the entire advertising campaign or the brand. Very well accepted and attractive super stars like Abhishek Bachchan and Amitabh Bachchan failed in turning their endorsements into success i.e. Maruti Versa similarly Virendra Sehwag also failed to deliver Reliance Telecommunication with the master stroke of his cricketing genius. Among the possible reasons identified by several authors, including overexposure and identification, the match-up hypothesis specifically suggests that the effectiveness depends on the existence of a fit between the celebrity spokesperson and endorsed brand. Empirical work on the congruency of brand with the celebrity often has concentrated on the physical attractiveness of the endorser. Results show that an attractive spokespersons are more effective in terms of attitude change when prompting brands that enhance ones attractiveness i.e. cosmetics; health drinks or fashion wear. Primary data states, for celebrity spokespersons to be truly effective, they should be knowledgeable, experienced, mature, and a bench mark in their respective field and qualified to talk about the product. Transferring the Meaning After watching an advertisement the consumers try to find the meaning of the advertisement and associate the same with the endorser and eventually transfer to the brand. To understand this phenomenon Mc Cracken (1989)  suggested a comprehensive model known as Meaning Transfer Model. This three-stage model suggests how the meaning associated with the famous person moves from the endorser to the product or the brand. Thus, meanings attributed to the celebrity become associated with the brand in the consumers mind. Finally, in the consumption process, the customer acquires the brands meaning. The third stage of the model explicitly shows the importance of the consumers role in the process of endorsing brands with famous persons. In contrast to anonymous endorsers, celebrities add value to the image transfer process by offering meanings of extra depth and power, what is complemented by their life style and personalities. Therefore, to transfer the correct meaning to the consumer the company should select a celebrity that will produce the most favorable response for consumers and for the purpose the celebrity should have, the appropriate set of characteristics and the public should be able to visualize and comprehend the same. The company should consider the consumers needs while developing their communication strategy and selecting an appropriate celebrity to transmit the same, i.e. Kurkure used actress Juhi Chawala with the punch line Masti Bole To Kurkure and the actress on screen and off-screen personifies the masti and helps the brand in communicating the same easily. Compatibility of the celebritys persona with the overall brand image is very important, as a celebrity imparts credibility and inspirational value to a brand and his or her image should perfectly match the brands image. A good brand campaign idea and an intrinsic link between the celebrity and the message are must for a successful campaign. Certain elements that generate a perfect match or compatibility between the celebrity and brand image are: * Celebritys fit with the brand image along with celebrity-target audience match. * Celebrity associated values and celebrity-product match. * Costs of acquiring the celebrity and his or her popularity along with controversy risks associated with the celebrity. * Credibility, availability and physical attractiveness of celebrity. The above points can be put to perspective by using two examples, first Kapil Devs Palmolive da jawaab nahin and second Nakshatras brand recall due to its endorser, the gorgeous Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Both brands have edged out and carved out their niche in consumers mind due to image and credibility of their endorsers.  These were the cases of perfect match between the brand image and the image or persona of the celebrity endorser. Conclusion A brief assessment of the current market situation indicates, that celebrity endorsement advertising strategy can under the right circumstances indeed justify the high costs associated with this form of advertising. The use of celebrity for endorsements create a very favorable impact on the consumer and it creates a connect which forces a consumer to purchase a product. However, as several failures show, it is essential for advertisers to be aware of the complex processes underlying celebrity endorsement. It has been proved from the discussion that celebrity endorsements are a powerful and useful tool that magnifies the effect of a campaign but the word of caution to be followed seriously; celebrities alone do not guarantee success nor does a great advertising campaign or the best possible product. It is the combination of several factors and elements that work together for the success of a brand and its acceptance in the minds of consumers as well as for its market offering. Modern day consumers are well educated and smart, they know celebrities are being paid for these endorsements and this knowledge makes consumers rather more cynical about the product and celebrity endorsements. Majority of the consuming population also knows what is advertising and how it actually works and this knowledge of consumer makes the task of celebrity endorsement all the more difficult and challenging for the advertising companies and the sponsors. Indian companies both advertising and product offering companies have top make an effort to overcome this ever-mounting challenge. References * Aaker, David A. (1996), Building Strong Brands. New York, NY: The Free Press. * Daneshvary, Rennae and R. Keith Schwer (2000), The Association Endorsement and * Consumers Intention to Purchase, Journal of Consumer Marketing, 17 (3), 203-213. * Friedman, Hershey H. and Linda Friedman (1979), Endorser Effectiveness by Product Type, Journal of Advertising Research, 19 (5), 63-71. * McCracken, Grant (1989), Who Is the Celebrity Endorser? Cultural Foundations of the Endorsement Process, Journal of Consumer Research, 16 (3), 310-321.

Abraham Maslows Hierarchy of Needs :: Psychology Sociology Maslow Essays

Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Abraham Maslow is known for establishing the theory of a hierarchy of needs, writing that human beings are motivated by unsatisfied needs, and that certain lower needs need to be satisfied before higher needs can be satisfied. Maslow studied exemplary people such as Albert Einstein, Jane Addams, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Frederick Douglas rather than mentally ill or neurotic people. This was a radical departure from two of the chief schools of psychology of his day: Freud and B.F. Skinner. Freud saw little difference between the motivations of humans and animals. We are supposedly rational beings; however, we do not act that way. Such pessimism, Maslow believed, was the result of Freud's study of mentally ill people. "The study of crippled, stunted, immature, and unhealthy specimens can yield only a cripple psychology and a cripple philosophy" (Motivation and Personality). Skinner, on the other hand, studied how pigeons and white rats learn. His motivational models were based on simple rewards such as food and water, sex, and avoidance of pain. Say "sit" to your dog and give the dog a treat when it sits, and-after several repetitions--the dog will sit when you command it to do so. Maslow thought that psychologists should instead study the playfulness, affection, etc., of animals. He also believed that Skinner discounted things that make humans different from each other. Instead, Skinner relied on statistical descriptions of people. Maslow's hierarchy of needs was an alternative to the depressing determinism of Freud and Skinner. He felt that people are basically trustworthy, self-protecting, and self-governing. Humans tend toward growth and love. Although there is a continuous cycle of human wars, murder, deceit, etc., he believed that violence is not what human nature is meant to be like. Violence and other evils occur when human needs are thwarted. In other words, people who are deprived of lower needs such as safety may defend themselves by violent means. He did not believe that humans are violent because they enjoy violence. Or that they lie, cheat, and steal because they enjoy doing it. According to Maslow, there are general types of needs (physiological, safety, love, and esteem) that must be satisfied before a person can act unselfishly. He called these needs "deficiency needs." As long as we are motivated to satisfy these cravings, we are moving towards growth, toward self-actualization. Satisfying needs is healthy; blocking gratification makes us sick or evil. Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs :: Psychology Sociology Maslow Essays Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Abraham Maslow is known for establishing the theory of a hierarchy of needs, writing that human beings are motivated by unsatisfied needs, and that certain lower needs need to be satisfied before higher needs can be satisfied. Maslow studied exemplary people such as Albert Einstein, Jane Addams, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Frederick Douglas rather than mentally ill or neurotic people. This was a radical departure from two of the chief schools of psychology of his day: Freud and B.F. Skinner. Freud saw little difference between the motivations of humans and animals. We are supposedly rational beings; however, we do not act that way. Such pessimism, Maslow believed, was the result of Freud's study of mentally ill people. "The study of crippled, stunted, immature, and unhealthy specimens can yield only a cripple psychology and a cripple philosophy" (Motivation and Personality). Skinner, on the other hand, studied how pigeons and white rats learn. His motivational models were based on simple rewards such as food and water, sex, and avoidance of pain. Say "sit" to your dog and give the dog a treat when it sits, and-after several repetitions--the dog will sit when you command it to do so. Maslow thought that psychologists should instead study the playfulness, affection, etc., of animals. He also believed that Skinner discounted things that make humans different from each other. Instead, Skinner relied on statistical descriptions of people. Maslow's hierarchy of needs was an alternative to the depressing determinism of Freud and Skinner. He felt that people are basically trustworthy, self-protecting, and self-governing. Humans tend toward growth and love. Although there is a continuous cycle of human wars, murder, deceit, etc., he believed that violence is not what human nature is meant to be like. Violence and other evils occur when human needs are thwarted. In other words, people who are deprived of lower needs such as safety may defend themselves by violent means. He did not believe that humans are violent because they enjoy violence. Or that they lie, cheat, and steal because they enjoy doing it. According to Maslow, there are general types of needs (physiological, safety, love, and esteem) that must be satisfied before a person can act unselfishly. He called these needs "deficiency needs." As long as we are motivated to satisfy these cravings, we are moving towards growth, toward self-actualization. Satisfying needs is healthy; blocking gratification makes us sick or evil.

Diesel Business Plan

[BUSINESS PLAN ASSIGNMENT]| | Creating your own brand jeans We are going to introduce a business where we with the help of recognized jeans brands all over the world will give ordinary people a chance of creating their own pair of jeans, but still maintaining the quality and the status that the specific brand maintain for their customers. We will basically be a jeans selling store but with a niche that we introduce our customers to â€Å"custom made† jeans instead of the regular ones. We will use the existing bran with its cut, bootleg and design but we will give our customers the opportunity to choose some of the details themselves. For people who for example want to have a wear on jeans which don’t have any wear from the original reseller we offer the possibility that at an expert level giving a pair of jeans the wear that the customer wants. Also we will be able to give the jeans another wash if the customer is interested in a light tone of the fabric but there isn’t any available from the Label/Brand/maker. If someone wants to have any other color or size on the main buttons we are able to provide that, if one wants any other kind of back pockets we are also able to provide that. Someone might want some additional motives or fabrics on their jeans. We will always try to be as flexible as possible and serve our clients in any way that we best can. Why work with Diesel We have chosen to work with the brand Diesel, because of many factors. We will work with an established brand that has a solid customer base here in Sweden. Regarding to the survey done by ISI Wissing, Diesel is the number 3 popular jeans brand in Sweden, also it qualifies for the 3rd place when it comes to customer satisfaction. When it comes to using the brand, regarding this survey, it ends on 4th place. And that for us shows that there are opportunities to take this even further. Also there is a mentality among younger people that they are attractive to the Diesel brand. One of the reasons why, are their outstanding and peculiar commercials. They try to show the brand as very attractive and cool and also with all their different products they want to make a valid point that Diesel is something else then all the other brands. It’s more attractive and aggressive and it’s there for the people who know what they want. One of their later commercial campaign are the â€Å"Be Stupid† commercial where they address their clothes and products to specific people that want to be something else. An example of their commercial is the following quotes: â€Å"Smart may have the brains, but stupid has the balls. †, â€Å"Stupid might fail. Smart doesn’t even try. †, â€Å"Smart may have the answers, but stupid has all the interesting questions†, â€Å"Smart has the plans, stupid has the stories†. So these are examples that they really try to have their own approach and make something amusing and attractive to their customer base. And we think this is one of the things that make Diesel stand out and be an attractive and popular brand to work with. (Willebrand, P, 2007), (Habitat. se, 2009) This type of product we offer is focused on a relatively young, between 18 and 35 years as a textile style, young, dynamic, unique and with character. Our target is to focus sales in a single product with its own identity, a trend and a reference in the textile market, developing products for a demanding consumer sector, where each product can be distinguished from the rest. This product is so expensive, it’s focused on one type of consumer with a high economic level, but that is why our service is striking, since it is an affordable way to get what the customer as to the characteristics mentioned, looking at the market. We don’t think that the segment with low paying jobs will be that particular interested in our business because we think it will be too much money for them to spend on clothes. So our business is rather directed to people who are at the average salary and more. Preferably we find this customer base in larger urban cities where there are enough to offer for people being interested in specific branding clothes. What we can see a connection to might be an independent employee or an entrepreneur that already are going their own path and following their own lifestyle, not bounded to any specific rules or dress code at their jobs. We also think that people with a specific identity can benefit from this of business venture, if you work at some place where you have a dress code that is suits or jackets for example, you are not able to wear your average blue jeans, but you still might be a jeans guy. We then offer the possibility to change the color on your jeans to make them look as much as suit pants as possible and so they not stand out and look really different and inappropriate from what expected. An attractive base product Our service is not unique since there are companies like Indicustom and Somconceptshop that gives the costumer the chance to customize their own jeans. But our service offers the customer a new feature in the market of customizing jeans. We want to use an â€Å"attractive† base product and let the customer personalize it. We looked at the other companies that were operating in the same market as us. We understood that we needed to concentrate on points of difference the benefits that set our product apart from the competition. Such points of differentiation are, in many cases, what consumers remember about a product. No one of the existing companies that we studied used brand/labeled jeans as the product that you could personalize. So we thought that if we use a well-known brand like Diesel as a base product that the customers could customize the way they personally want them to look but still have the quality that Diesel provides. It would unquestioningly set our product apart from the competition. About Diesel Diesel is an international brand, present on the clothing industry market in over 80 countries with 5500 points of sale, throughout all 5 continents. In terms of projected-in the population interested in buying clothes and brand accessories is more and more important that’s why the companies of the clothing industry have to offer varied products to boost their sells and their fame. The brand sells almost 3000 products from the basic pair of jeans, to the bags, belts and the house furniture. Diesel also owns 200 companies and having partnership with 100 local distributors, such as L’Oreal, Ford or Adidas. The main goal is to be everywhere geographically, in different strategic areas, expanding, in that way, their international presence. Concerning the sales and profits, the company realized a revenue of 1,2 billionsâ‚ ¬ en 2008, 80 millions in France. But even with these good results the revenue global of the group doesn’t really know a huge growth and on the contrary decrease of 3. 5% in 2009, whereas there was a rise of 3% in 2008. Then, even if the company has a healthy financial position as its campaigns, its results and its growth shows there is no extra revenue since 5 years. That’s why we decided to create this personalize service. (Pavarini, M, 2010) Tailored e-commerce in Sweden Tailored e-commerce is on the rise if you ask the CEO of Tailor store. He expects an annual growth of 30 percent because the distance trade is on the rise and growing faster than the regular store trade. Tailor Store had a sales report of 40 million last year and reported a profit of 5 million after net financial items. He thinks the reason of the success is because consumers have benefited greatly by including the ability to investigate and compare the products of a larger range of products and services that can be purchased at any time and from anywhere and a greater opportunity to get more customized products to satisfy personal needs. And e-commerce is getting popular in the whole of Sweden; 28 billion in turnover was from distance trade, e-commerce and mail order, in 2010. If you look at the numbers you can see that it has been a doubling in sales in the last five years and today it represents 4. percent of the total retail sales. (Melkersson, E, 2011) Competitors When we look at the biggest competitors it’s hard to say who will be the biggest competitor for our business. Obviously every brand will be a competitor since we will only work with Diesel, also other stores who sell Jeans will also be a competitor to us and in Sweden especially Brothers & Sisters, JC and H&M are big competitor s. Also companies who sell other brand that are big will be a competitor for us, such as resellers for Lee who is number one in Sweden and Levis which is number two. But if we focus specifically on our distinction from the other resellers, the custom made part, we think that companies like Tailor Store will be a big competitor for us. A company that already made themselves a name on the market of custom made clothes, even though they are not only limited to specific brands. If we look in to the sector with custom made clothes a lot of them are not resellers and dealing with bigger worldwide brands. It’s often some smaller brand which they import and give people the opportunity to make changes to. Here is where we have a problem identifying any specific company that are selling luxury brand jeans, designer jeans, with the opportunity for the customer to have the jeans custom made after their wishes. If we look at the jeans market here in Sweden it has suffered from a little fallback. About 15 million pair of jeans is sold in Sweden every year. And the competition from companies like H&M, Kappahl and Lindex are getting bigger at the cost of specialized jeans resellers revenue. (Willebrand, P, 2007), (Habitat. se, 2009) External Factors Affecting A Business There are a couple of external factors we are looking into when it comes to how they can affect our business: 1. GENERAL ECONOMIC AND INDUSTRY CONDITIONS Any general economic, business or industry conditions that cause customers or potential customers to reduce or delay their investments in the jeans industry could have a negative effect on the company's strength and profitability. Currently, the world economic conditions had a bad and considerable impact on every commercial fields of the society, and the jean’s industry couldn’t escape from that either. Trying to launch this custom made project can be profitable for us, of course, but with that we will also try to help in a way the Diesel company. 2. COMPETITION The jeans industry is highly competitive. The intense competition inherent in the industry could result in the loss of customers or pricing pressures. 3. LOCAL ACTIVITIES The company's future growth rates and success are in-part dependent on continued growth and success in local market at first, as we’ll try to open the custom made project worldwide after studying the results in Sweden. (Essays. cc, u. d. ). The Swedish economy emerged from the financial crisis as one of the strongest in Europe. A high-tech local economy and a comprehensive system of welfare benefits allow Sweden to enjoy one of the highest standards of living in the world. Sweden has one of the most globalized and competitive economies today. GDP is expected to increase by 4% in 2010 and by 3. 7% in 2011. The welfare has been able to be maintained because of the high tax levels, even if they recently have begun to decrease. Also, concerning government regulations, Sweden’s economic freedom score is 71. ; it appears that the overall regulatory and legal environment, transparent and efficient, encourages robust entrepreneurial activity. (Traveldocs. com, u. d. ). 4. SOCIAL FACTORS The profit margins realized by the company vary somewhat among its products and its customer business units. Like we said before this custom made opportunity that we are going to submit to Diesel is a product to a narrow customers base (1 8-35 years), and they maybe don’t have the possibility to pay this kind of services. That’s why we are trying to make an arrangement with a company like Diesel who stay affordable. . TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGES AND PRODUCT TRANSITIONS The jeans industry is characterized by continuing improvements in fashion and design which result in frequent introduction of new products, short product life cycles and continual improvement in product price/design characteristics. 6. INVENTORY MANAGEMENT/SUPPLIES The company's ability to manage its inventory has been enhanced by favorable supply conditions in the industry. The company's manufacturing process requires a high volume of quality components that are procured from third party suppliers. The six external factors highlighted in this paper are identified as primary factors in this industry (Essays. cc, u. d. ) Enterprise resource planning and organization First of all we have to have our wholesale to buy the jeans from, we obviously by our jeans from a supplier since it’s a specific brand that we will be using. We need a workstation where we do our tweaks on the jeans, since we will do the tailoring in-house and not outsourced. Meaning we will have a department changing buttons, sawing on new pockets on the back of the jeans, wearing them and washing them. We will buy the raw jeans models from Diesel and all the tailoring we do will be done in-house. This way we get a overview over the whole process and we will be able to overlook it and see what works and what does not to be able to make changes and develop our working process and expand. In long term we possibly would like our tailoring to be outsourced as well but then we have to get a lot of bigger volumes and sales. Our company needs to be of a local medium proportion, after asking prices we have chosen an office in the center of Linkoping, over 90m2 warehouse 100m2. The rental price â‚ ¬ 1000 per month. Costs of production / initiation of the company: Machines and Computer products| Manufacturer| Units| Euros| Sewing Machine| | 2| 1000| Washing machine| | 1| 1000| Mac Pro| Apple| 1| 1200| Jet color laser multifunctional printer | Hp| 2| 750| Textil Studio 8| Macromedia| 1| 480| Quark Xpress 6. 1 Passport Diseno| Quark| 1| 2. 200| Norton Internet Security 2007 Antivirus | Symantec| 1| 60| | Total| 6. 990| Furniture Product| manufacturer| Units| Euros| Computer table ERISTER| IKEA| 4| 520| Chair STEFANO| IKEA| 4| 320| shelf FJUS| IKEA| 4| 400| Chairs| IKEA| 4| 80| filings| IKEA| 4| 180| Ceiling fluorescent bars| IKEA| 6| 180| | Total| 1. 680| Total computer equipment and furniture company| Computer equipment| 6. 990| Furniture company| 1. 680| | Total| 8. 670| Telephone rental and adsl| Local callsADSL Internet 10MG | 40Per month| Production process of our company First Phase In the first instance, we take care of developing the product design, according to the specifications and style that the customer provided to us. We need the measurements of the client to make the program design Textile Studio 8. Second Phase Then perform the design by computer program, the design is sent to our textile machinery in the warehouse where the design is recreated in the pants, is embroidered, sewn and glued, additional accessories or tweaks that you must do the product. Third Phase. In third phase, the products pass an exhaustive examination of tissue and finishes, in order to verify that the product is done with the selected design and has no damage. Distribution Our field is nationwide, with an eye to expanding our international infrastructure over the medium term. As our company turnover grow fence on the market performance will be broader. The distribution is provided by our company is an outsourced process by which we have a freight agreement with the company MRW light which provides an optimum distribution at a reasonable price, short and medium term by increasing our relationships grow if our trade with other countries. The cost of distribution affects the final price, so that the customer pays, revenue is recorded in the product itself. Marketing (advertising) In the field of marketing, the company will open a website with a catalog of examples, price list, contact, and an application through which you can perform orders. We have thought hiring advertising space in newspapers to national newspapers, the expenses are high, we will follow up weekly to see the number of people responding to advertising, if it is positive we will find these services. Also we will do advertising in social networks, starting a group of our company, our website advertising, adding to people that this profile for potential buyers to our profile social. So as included in online media websites such as www. undoanuncio. com. Regarding marketing we will also try to use SEO(Search engine optimization) as much as possible to get more hits when our possible customer base browse the web and search for companies that does custom made clothes. Implementation Plan We need to contact Diesel / a Wholesale to be able to secure our purchases of the Jeans. We need to establish a workplace where we change the Jeans into the customer’s wishes. Since our main sales channel will be via the internet we need to establish a homepage with the possibility to tailor your jeans and also a web store on the homepage so our customers can buy the jeans they want. We have to get some it-system that will be able to trace our orders and the specific changes the customer wants so we can make them and then ship them out to our customer. Activity| COMPLETED OR UNDERTAKEN in RELEVANT Quarter OF 2011-12| Development| | Finding investor interested in investing in the business. | 2011 – Q1| Attaining the site for thebusiness and making any needed physical developments| 2011Q1- Q2| Proof-of-concept development. Need to develop a prototype for the investors to see. | 2011Q1- Q4| Marketing| | Choose our target market, the group of customers we want to target| 2011 – Q3| Plan how to reach and address your customers, with specific measures coveringproduct design, pricing, distribution and communication| 2011 Q3 – Q4| Promote the service to potential investors and buyers. | 2011 – Q42012 – Q2| Management| | Recruit personal for the development of the service. | 2011Q1- Q4| Training of personnel| 2011Q1 – Q3| Forming a team| 2011 – Q32012 – Q2| Financial plan First of all our initial cost for our company is the cost for starting it up and register it as a incorporated company and for that cost we calculate 7  000 euro. Next up is our warehouse and office with its equipment needed. For the first month we need the capital for investing in our equipment that we estimate to 8  700 euro. After that we will have cost for our rent and staff, also for our purchases and a onetime fee to our web developer and a cost for every time we need to update our website. We estimate that the web developers onetime charge would be about 10  000 euro. Our rent will be 1  000 euro with a down payment for 3 months. Also we have a OTC for the officer and warehouse for 500 euro. That would mean that our total initial cost would be 29  200 â‚ ¬ and we count with a big miscalculation so we would say 30  000 â‚ ¬ as initial cost. Our monthly cost will be: Rent : 1000 â‚ ¬Telecome: 40 â‚ ¬Salary: 3000â‚ ¬ for 1. 5 fulltime employee Utilities: 500 â‚ ¬Distribution: 500 â‚ ¬Raw Material: 50â‚ ¬/jeans +5-15â‚ ¬depending on what customer choos to add to the jeans Promotion : 2000 â‚ ¬Other expenses: 400 â‚ ¬ That would be a total of 7  500 â‚ ¬ in monthly expenses but also a additional part depending on how many jeans we manufacture Sales forecast: We think that we can start with selling 75 pair of jeans the first month, meaning 2,5 jeans per day. And then we count with an increase of 10 % per month. Our price range on the jeans will be 120 – 200 â‚ ¬ and we have counted with an average price on 140 â‚ ¬ per pair of jeans We count with an increase in sales as soon as our website is up and running and getting some regular visitors and that they spread the word. Also it will take some time for our promotion and marketing to get effective What we would like to offer our investors are 20% of the shares in our company for the price of 15  000 â‚ ¬, the rest we would make up as a loan from the bank with a low mortgage and try to pay only the interest. Bibliography Melkersson, Erik (01-04-2011). Skraddarsydd e-handel pa frammarsch, www. hd. se. Avaible at: http://hd. se/ekonomi/2011/04/02/skraddarsydd-e-handel-pa/ [13-10-2011] Willebrand, Peter (16-08-2007). Jeansjattarna haller greppet om svenskarna, www. resume. se. Avaible at: http://www. resume. se/nyheter/2007/08/16/jeansjattarna-haller-grepp/index. xml [10-10-2011] Habit. se (17-12-2009). Jeansmarknaden tappar fart, Habit. se. Avaible at: http://www. habit. se/iuware. aspx? pageid=1780&ssoid=112504[12-10-2011] Pavarini, Maria (07-05-2010). DIESEL NAMES NEW CEO, RESTRUCTURES ONLY THE BRAVE, www. sportswearnet. com. Avaible at: http://www. sportswearnet. com/businessnews/pages/protected/DIESEL- ­? NAMES- ­? NEW- ­? CEO- ­? RESTRUCTURES- ­? ONLY- ­? THE- ­? BRAVE_2503. html [12-10-2011] Essays. cc (u. d). External Factors Affecting A Business, www. essays. cc. Avaible at: http://www. essays. cc/free_essays/b2/utv218. shtml [09-10-2011] Traveldocs. com (u. d). The Swedish economy, www. traveldocs. com. Avaible at: http://www. essays. cc/free_essays/b2/utv218. shtm [07-10-2011]